Raise your hand if you picked the Cardinals as the No. 1 team more than halfway through the season.
Liar!
Kyler Murray is playing like a Pro Bowler in his first full season back from a torn ACL, completing 17 consecutive passes in Sunday’s loss to the Jets and leading the Cardinals to their fourth straight win. He became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to score at least three rushing touchdowns in his first six seasons.
The NFC West could be the most chaotic division in the NFL, with only a game and a half separating the top and bottom teams.
The 49ers, who have won three of their last four games, also appear to be on the upswing after a slow start.
However, neither team finished in the top 10 in the Post’s power rankings for Week 11. Who did it?
1. Chiefs 9-0 (1)
Leo Chenal blocked a 35-yard field goal as time expired, saving the Reds from the brink of defeat and clinching a 16-14 victory over the Broncos. Despite trailing at halftime, the Chiefs won eight straight games, making their 15-game winning streak the longest in the NFL since the 2010-11 season. Patrick Mahomes threw for 266 yards and a touchdown to reliable Travis Kelce.
2. Lions 7-1 (2)
Simply put, the Lions didn’t need to beat the Texans. But that’s what happened when Texas native Jake Bates made a 52-yard walk-off field goal to seal a 26-23 victory. The Lions had five interceptions (all by Jared Goff) and became the first team since 1970 to win by at least 15 points (23-7 at halftime).
3. Ravens 7-3(3)
After a disastrous game for the defense, the Ravens forced an incompletion on a two-point conversion and held on for a 35-34 victory over the Bengals. Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, erasing a 21-7 deficit. The Ravens hadn’t trailed by 14 points in the three years Jackson was on the field.
4. Proposal No. 8-2(4)
The 30-20 victory over the Colts gave the Bills their first win in Indianapolis since 1998, their first 8-2 start since 1993, and their first four consecutive games scoring 30 or more points. The defense forced four takeaways, including a pick-six by Taron Johnson. Josh Allen threw for 280 yards and his 57th career rushing touchdown.
5. Packers 6-3 (5)
The Packers will emerge from a bye with four games remaining, coming off an 0-2 start in the NFC North for the first time since 2005. They’re near the top of the NFL in completions covering 20 yards or more with 32, but Jordan Love’s 10 interceptions are just behind them. That’s just one fewer person than all of last season. Xavier McKinney’s six interceptions lead the defense.
6. Steelers 7-2(8)
Mike Williams, acquired at the trade deadline, made an immediate impact by scoring the winning touchdown with three minutes left in a 28-27 win over the Commanders. Despite the bye, the Steelers persevered and won four consecutive games. Russell Wilson improved to 3-0 as a starter and threw for three touchdowns, including a 16-yarder for George Pickens.
7. Commanders 7-3 (6)
A mind-boggling streak of 11 consecutive fourth-down conversions since the start of the season came to an end when Zach Ertz was marked down short of a first down with a one-point lead on the manager’s final possession. Johnny Newtown jumped offside on a fourth-and-1 late in the game, allowing the Steelers to run out time. Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns.
8. Vikings 7-2(7)
Even an ugly victory is a victory. The Vikings held the Jaguars, without Trevor Lawrence, to 143 yards of offense and overcame three interceptions by Sam Darnold en route to defeating Mac Jones to win 12-7. Darnold’s offense forced just three field goals by John Parker Romo (in his NFL debut) out of five trips to the red zone.
9. Eagles 7-2 (10)
Jalen Hurts threw two touchdowns, scored two more and scored enough runs to make up for a lost fumble and end zone interception in a 34-6 rout of the Dak Prescott-less Cowboys. I let it happen. The Eagles forced five turnovers and held the Cowboys to 146 yards, the lowest total at home since AT&T Stadium opened in 2009.
10. Texans 6-4 (9)
It’s going to hurt for a while to miss a game against the Lions where they came so close to winning. The Texans scored on five of their six possessions in the first half, but were shut out in the second half when CJ Stroud intercepted Carlton Davis twice. Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 58-yard field goal with two minutes remaining that would have been the game-winner.
11. 49ers 5-4 (12)
12. Cardinals 6-4 (13)
13. Charger 6-3 (14)
14. Falcons 6-4 (11)
15. Buccaneers 4-6 (15)
16. Broncos 5-5 (16)
17. Rams 4-5 (17)
18. Seahawks 4-5 (18)
19. Colts 4-6 (19)
20. Bengals 4-6 (22)
21. Cowboys 3-6 (20)
22. Patriots 3-7 (30)
23. Bears 4-5 (21)
24. Dolphins 3-6 (28)
25. Saints 3-7 (32)
26. Jets 3-7 (23)
Anyone who thought the Jets might still have playoff hopes after their loss to New England two weeks ago has to face reality after a 31-6 loss to the Cardinals. The Jets had 20 missed tackles on defense and no plays of more than 15 yards on offense. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich lost 1-4.
27. Panthers 3-7 (31)
28. Raiders 2-7 (25)
29. Browns 2-7 (27)
30. Titans 2-7 (29)
31. Jaguars 2-8 (26)
32. Giants 2-8 (24)
The Giants, who won the championship for the first time in 25 games, laid their eggs in Germany. Against the league’s worst scoring defense, the Giants were shut out in the first half and lost to the Panthers 20-17 in overtime. Daniel Jones had two interceptions in the red zone, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. fumbled on the first play of overtime to set up the game-winning field goal.
